



March 6, 1934. A w, BURKS Re. 19,101.'

PUMP

- original Filed Dec. 11. 1925 zsneetS-heet 1 March 6, 1934. A. w. BURKsl PUMP Original Filed' Deo. ll, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissued Mar. 6,1934 UNITED STATES PATENT;- OFFICE PUMP Arthur W. Burlxs, Decatur, Ill.

Original No. 1,686,549, dated October 9, 1928,

Serial No. 74,807, December 11,1925. Application for reissue May 3,1929, Serial No. 360,288

23 Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates to pumps, and

more particularly to pumps of the type which such pumps, reference ishad to my copendingv application Serial No. 444,830, led Feb. 14, 1921,and Serial No. 474,100, filed June 1, l1921.

This type of pumphas been found to be highly eflcient in actual use,when constructed 4in accordance with the disclosure of saidapplications,

An objection, however, which develops is that at times the pump willvery unexpectedly fail to deliver iluid, either` gas, such as air, orliquid. In other Words, the rotor simply revolves without receiving ordischarging air or liquid.

An object of the invention is to provide means 2g which wLll preventthese interruptions in the operation of the pump, and which will.furthermore, render the same eliicient in working with' a gaseous fluid,such as air.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for bodilyadjusting the rotor relative to the casing. whereby a substantiallyfluid-tight seal may be maintained between at least one face of therotor and the casing wall.

The .inventioi comprises broadly the provision of a'chamber or pocket,preferably outside the discharge opening and therethrough, in corr.-municatio-n with the buckets of the rotor, the chamber being arranged toretain a body of liquid which receives a whirling movement from therotor as the latter is operated. 'Ihe chamber ris of a size suicient topermit the fluid, when given a whirling movement, to be formed into asubstantially continuous circular wall with the air which is dischargedfrom the impeller passing to the center of the moving body and onwardlyfrom the chamber. When liquid is being pumped, the same will remainwithin the chamber in sufficient quantities to maintain constantly thewhirling body described. The chamber is so constructed and arranged thatwhen gaseous iluid,

such as air, is being pumped, a body of liquid in` ably at the dischargeopening of the pump, and

more specically, the chamber is arranged so 5 that the whirling fluidtherein travels in a path `to -which the path of the rotor and itsbuckets is substantially tangential. The whirling fluid repeatedlyengages the buckets as they pass the, outlet opening through which thechamber 1s in communication with the bucket and the interior of thecasing. l

In this type of pump it is desirable to provide a substantiallyfluid-tight seal or joint between at least one lateral face of the rotorand the casing, this seal being ordinarily disposed radially 55 withrespect to the buckets and raceway. In the particular embodiment f theinvention herein disclosed, a seal is eieoted on both sides of theseries of buckets. In order to maintain only the necessary Workingclearance between the face of Figure 1 is a face view of the pump withthe liquid chamber shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section, the same being taken through thestructure shown in Figure 1', on substantially the line 2 2.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on thev line` 4 4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View of the inner face of the casing sectionprovided with the raceway and the inlet and discharge openings.A

Inthe drawings 10 indicates a casing section which is interiorlyrecessed to form a marginal flange or wall 11, having a face rib 12,which interts/with the peripheral ange 13 on a, second casing section 14'secured to the section 10, as by means of bolts 15 passing through thetwo sections` y Within the casing is positioned a rotor element 16,which is`xedly mounted upon a rotor shaft 17 by means of a beveledenlargement 18 upon the shaft within a centrally arranged aperture inthe rotor, the aperture being correspondingly tapered so that the rotormay be locked upon the enlargement 18 by means of a lock nut 19 threadedupon the shaft. It will-be noted that fcc the end 2O of the shaft `isspaced from the end of a removable bearing plug 21, which is thread- -edwithin a boss 22, upon the casing section 14, thus permittinglongitudinal adjustment of the shaft and rotor within the casing. Theshaft extends rearwardly through the casing section 10 and asuitablepacking box 23 to `driving means, such as an electric motor. (notshown). Spaced from the casing 10 the shaft has a stationary bearing 24,which is carried by bars` 25, preferably cast integrally withthe'casing. This bearing is of sufflcientsize to receive a rollerbearing raceway element 26, which surrounds a bushing 27 upon the shaft,the latter being fixedly held against a shoulder 28 on the shaft by alock nut 29. At opposite sides of the roller bearing are positionedcollars 30, 30, having peripheral extending flange portions 31, thecollars being slidable longitudinally of thevshaft and abuttingadjusting nuts 32, 32, threaded within the bearingl and having sockets33, which may be `engaged by a spanner wrench or similar tool. As willbe understood, adjustment of these nuts will shift the rotor shaftlongitudinally, due to the abutment of the plugs with the collars, whichyin turn abut the cage for the roller bearings. l

The purpose of this adjustment is to maintain a suitable workingclearance between the rotor 16 and the casing, the desirability of whichwill be clearer as the construction of the rotor and the cooperatingparts of the casing is described.

Referring to the rotor, the same consists of a` relatively flat ordisc-like element, which has a circular series of buckets 35 arranged onfaces, in the present instance ina lateral face, of the rotor andcooperating with a circular uid raceway 36, the casing section 14 havingan inlet opening 3'? communicating with said raceway, and therethroughwith a discharge opening 38. In order to close the raceway at each side,the rotor makes a substantially fluid-tight joint on oppositelsidesthereof with the casing, land the effectiveness of this joint isimproved by means of coacting ribs and grooves 39 upon the casing androtor; Of course, itis necessary to maintain between the rotor and thecasi g at these intervfitting ribs and grooves a suita le workingclearance so that objectionable friction will not be set up. Theprovision of the adjustable bearing heretofore described permitsthis andaftenwear has occurred, it is simply necessary to adjust the bearing totake up such clearance as permits leakage, thus .avoiding the necessityfor renewing either the rotor or the casing.

It will be understood that the fluid being pumped may be either air orliquid or both, and the same'will enter the casing through the inletopening 37, where it will be engaged by the buckets of the rotor as -thelatter is` operated and carried through the raceway in the casing to thedischarge opening 33, the fluid being operated upon by the buckets in amanner which will be fully understood by one familiar with the operationof this type of pump.

.As `has been before explained, this type of pump has not heretofore-been particularly etlicient when operating upon gaseous fluid alonesuch air, and, furthermore, when pumping liquid the discharge therefromis often suddenlyinterrupted, although movement ofthe rotor continues.For the purpose of rendering the pump effl- 'cient in operating upongaseous iluid, and to avoid th failure in operation, there is providedmeans for maintaining in communication with the buckets, a. bodyofliquid which will be given a conand it is found that this arrangementprevents the `rotor from ceasing to function satisfactorily,

or, in other words, from becoming air bound, as this condition may beconveniently termed. Preferably, the body of liquid is maintained at theoutlet opening 38, 'and for this purpose there is provided a chamber 40outside the discharge opening 38, and communicating through the latterwith the bucketsof the rotor which pass the discharge opening as therotor is operated. It will be understood that the raceway extends aroundthe casing from the inlet opening 3"!` to the. discharge opening 38(Figure 5) and the fluid travels therethrough in 'a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in Fig. 1. However, the cas- .ing is not formedwitha raceway in the short space between the two openings, the raceway atthis point being closed by a short wall or'web 41 (Fig. 5), whichparallels and closely fits against /the face of therotor to lprevent thepassage of fany substantial amount of air or liquid from the dischargeopening to the inlet opening after the same has been once conducted bythe rotor through the raceway. It will be noted that the .wall or web 41begins immediately at the discharge opening 38 (Fig. 3) and forms aportion of thefwall of the 4chamber 40. This chamber has its bottom 42arranged in a plane substantially intersecting the inner edge of theseries of bucketsas they pass the discharge opening. The chamber is openat its top and has leading therefrom a discharge passage 43, whichprogressively tapers in cross section away from the chamber andcommunicates with the outlet pipe 44. As

the rotor buckets pass the discharge opening 38 any liquid which iscarried by them will be discharged through the opening into the chamberand the wall of the latter, in the plane of the web 4l, is undercut(Figs. 2 and 3) so that the wall 4l gradually merges at 44 into thechamber The repeated discharges into the' setting up of undesirable eddycurrents at the opening 38 is satisfactorily avoided by'the upward.curving of the-dischargeopening 38, as indicatedv at 47. This curvewhich corresponds to the curve of the raceway and series of bucketsnaturally'causes the incoming fluid to be thrown upwardly andthewhirling liquid within the :chamber will engage the buckets at the lowerend 49 (Figure 1); f

It has been observed that in the operation of the pump any gaseous uid,such as air, will seek the center of the whirling body of liquid'within`the chamber 4l), since the liquid therein will be arranged in `arelatively narrow moving wall. The air'willpass on through the outletpassage 43, and the liquid will remain within the chamber I in,vsufficient quantities to Amaintain constantly the lwhirling body(referred too which receives its movement due to the repeatedintroduction of liquid from the propeller into the chamber and also torepeated engagement with the buckv ets during its whirling -movement.

fluid from the rotor through said body ofV liquid,

While retaining the body in operative association with said rotor.l

12. In a pump, a casing,'a substantially circular fluid raceway therein,said casing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a rotorhaving a substantially circular marginal series of buckets cooperatingwith s'aid racewayy the rotor making a substantially water-tight jointwith the casing radially inwardly from said raceway, and means outsidethe outlet opening for maintaining a body of liquid in position to have`imparted thereto by saidrotor a whirling movement in which it engagesthe buckets as they pass.

13. In'a pump, a rotor having buckets thereon, a casing having an inletand outlet and means adapted to maintain adjacent the outlet as the.rotor operates, a whirling body of liquid which separates air bycentrifugal action, said means being so disposed that the centrifugalforce set upby the whirling motion ofthe body causesthe liquid thereofto engage the buckets. f

14. In a pump, a bucket bearing rotor, means adjacent therotor forretaining a whirling body of liquid created by the rotor and forpermitting separation of,air and liquid by the centrifugal action ofsaid body, said means being in direct communication with the rotorbuckets so thatl the whirling liquid of the whirling body may'repeatedly engage the rotor buckets and cause to be passed into the bodyair from said rotor, and means-for permitting discharge from said lfirstmentioned means of air separated from said whirling body.

15. The method of pumping a mixture of liquid and gaseous fluid with arotor having a series of vbuckets which consists in forming a liquidwhirlpool having a substantially Vertical axis adjacent the path of thebuckets and by the action thereof, and maintaining said whirlpool sothat the whirling motion straties the'air and the centrifugal force setup causes the whirling liquid thereof to engage the rotor buckets.

16. The method of pumping a mixture of liquid and gaseous fluid with arotor having a series of buckets which consists in forming a liquidwhirlpool adjacent the path of the buckets and by the action thereof,maintaining said whirlpool so that the whirling motion tends to separateair therefrom and the centrifugal .force set up causes the liquidthereof to engage the rotor buckets, and conducting off the airseparatedpby the centrifugal action of said whirlpool.

17. The method of priming a pump having a bucket bearing rotor, asuction inlet and an outlet which comprises setting up adjacent the pathof said rotor and by the action thereof, a whirling 'body of liquidwhich stratifies air by centrifugal let which comprises settin-gupIadjacent the path of said rotor and by the action thereof, a whirlingbody of liquid which stratilies air by centrifugal action and utilizingthe centrifugal force to cause the whirling liquid of the whirling bodyto engage the buckets while collecting the stratified air from thewhirling body.-

19. The method of pumping a mixture of liquid land gaseous fluid in apump having a casing with anoutlet and a rotor provided with a series'of buckets, which consists in maintaining immediately adjacentthe pathofthe buckets yand exterior to the casing outlet a body of liquid,imparting to said body bythe rotor buckets a whirling movement in thecourse of which the whirling liquid at `the outer portion of the whirlengages the buckets through the outlet, displacing gaseous uid from thebuckets into the whirling body by the repeated engagement of the liquidwith the buckets,'and separating the gaseous fluid from `the whirlingbody by the centrifugal action set up.

20. The method of pumping gaseous fluid in a pump comprising a rotorwith a plurality of buckets which consists in maintaining adjacent thepath of the buckets a body of liquid, whirling said body by the rotoras' it is operated, and maintainv ing the whirling body so that it tendsto separate air by centrifugal force while the centrifugal action set upcauses the whirling liquid to engage the buckets. l

2l., In a pump, a` casing having a fluid inlet and a iiuid outlet, arotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon andimmediately at said outlet a chamber ofsubstantially circularcross-section with its Wall substantially tangential to the path of saidbuckets and in communication with the buckets at said outlet, thechamber serving to receive and retain liquid discharged through theopening and arranged to have imparted to the liquid therein by saidbuckets a whirling movement which serves to separate air by centrifugalaction.

22. In a self-priming liquid pump, a casing' having a supply inlet forair and liquid to be pumped, and an air and liquid outlet, a rotor insaid casing having a series of liquid impelling buckets, and asubstantially circular separator chamber near the outlet opening andadapted to l maintain as the rotor operates a whirling body of liquidWhichfseparates air by centrifugal action,

and an air and liquid outlet, said inlet being adapted for connectionVto a liquid suction li'ne, I

a rotor in said casing having a series of liquid impelling buckets, anannular channel in said casing cooperating with said buckets andthroughwhich the air and liquid are driven by the buckets to said outlet, and asubstantially circular` chamber near the outlet adapted to maintain asthe rotor operates a whirling body of liquid which separates air bycentrifugal action, said chamber b eing disposed so that the centrifugalforce set up by the whirling liquid causes liquid fromthe whirling bodyto engage the rotor buckets-through said outlet and causes to be passedinto the whirling body air from the rotor.

ARTHUR. W. BURKS.`

The tapering outlet passage 43 is provided for f the purpose ofmaintaining further on in the discharge line the relatively highpressure which is found to exist in the chamber where the water has awhirling action; an abrupt change from the chamber diameter to thediameter of the outl let pipe 44 would result in a loss of thispressure.

Furthermore, when the pump is operating upon gaseous fluid. alone, as,for instance, when building up air pressure in the pumping system, thetaper serves to retain in the chamber the body of fluid which isintroduced thereinto for the purpose of providing the water seal at thedischarge opening.

In the operation of the p ump, upon gaseous fluid such as air, a certainamount of liquidl will be introduced into the chamber 40, for instance,through a priming opening 49 in the discharge passage 43, and then theinlet opening 37 will be placed in communication with a source of air orother gaseous fluid. Operation of the rotor will result in pumping ofthe gaseous fluid, which will be discharged through the dischargeopening 38 and the body -of liquid therein, the gas seeking the centerof the liquid and passing on outwardly through the outlet pipe 44. Whenpumping liquid it will be found that there will be constantly 'impellingbuckets thereon, and a chamber disposed adjacent the path of saidbuckets, said chamber being in communication With the rotor through anopening and being arranged to retain a body of `liquid therein and topermit the same to receive from the buckets through said opening amovement in which it engages the buckets as the rotor is operated.

2. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid y impelling buckets thereon, and a chamberdisposed adjacent the path of said buckets, said chamber being incommunication with the rotor through an opening/and being arranged toretain a body of liquid therein and to permit the same to receive fromthe buckets through said opening a whirling movement in which it engagesthe buckets as the rotor is operated.

. 3'. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, arotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and achamber disposed adjacent the path of said buckets, said chamber beingin communication with the rotor through an opening and being arranged toretain a Vbody of liquid and to permit the same to be engaged by thebuckets and to receive therefrom through said opening a movement inwhich it engages the `buckets as the rotor is operated, said chamberbeing disposed to permit movement of the fluid therein `through a pathwith respect to which the path of said buckets is substantiallytangential.

4; In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a. fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber atsaid outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets, thechamber serving to receive and retain liquid discharged through theopening and being arranged to have imparted to the liquid therein bysaid buckets a continuous movement in which the liquid is engaged by thebuckets as they pass said opening.

5. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet'and a fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber atsaid outlet opening communicatingthrough the same with the buckets, thechamber serving to receive and to `have pass therethrough gaseous fluiddischarged through the opening and serving to retain a body of liquidwhich has imparted thereto by said buckets a whirling movement in whichthe liquid is engaged by the buckets as they pass said opening.

6. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber atsaid outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets, thechamber serving to retain constantly a body of the liquid dischargedthrough the opening and being arranged to haveimparted to the liquidtherein by said buckets a whirling movement in which the same is engagedby the buckets as they pass said opening, said buckets having a path o ftravel substantially tangential to the path of said iluid in thechamber.

7. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, a chamberdisposed adjacent the path of said buckets, said chamber being incommunication with the rotor through an opening and being arranged toretain a body of liquid which receives from the buckets through saidopening a movement in which it engages the buckets as the rotor isoperated, and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leadingfrom said chamber.

8. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotorin said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon. a chamberdisposed adjacent the path of said buckets, said chamber being incommunication with the rotor through an opening and -being arranged toretain a body of liquid and to permit the same to be engaged by thebuckets and to receive therefrom through said opening a movement inwhich it engages the buckets as the rotor is operated, said chamberbeing disposed to permit movement ofthe fluid therein through a pathwith respect to which the Ipath of said buckets is substantiallytangential, and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leadingfrom said chamber.

9. In a pump, a casing having 'a fluid inlet and g' a fluid outlet, arotor in said casing having iluid impelling buckets thereon, a chamberat said outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets,the chamber serving toreceive and retain liquid discharged through theopening and beingarranged to have imparted to the liquid therein by saidbuckets a continuous movement in which the liquid is engaged by thebuckets as they pass said opening, and an outlet passage ofprogressively reducing area leading from said chamber. l

10. In a pump, a rotor having a'plurality of buckets, a casing inassociation with the rotor having an inlet and having an outlet opening,and means for maintaining at said outlet opening a moving body of liquidwhich is given a whirling movement by said rotor as it is operated, saidbody of liquid engaging said buckets as they pass said opening and theliquid repeatedly passing said opening in said whirling movement.

